Expectations When Expecting

Book 1, Chapter 9

"Yeesh! That was terrifying." Cater broke the silence.

"That guy... has some serious issues." Grim said, nuzzling into Yuu's side as she nodded.

"Hey, don't disrespect him!" Deuce said.

"Well... He's a little intense. Although, I shouldn't have prodded him." She said, trying to calm her heart-rate into a more natural resting one.

All around, Yuu heard terrified mutters about the housewarden:

"Is the housewarden gone?" One asked shakily.

"I totally just broke rule 186, 'Never eat a hamburger on Tuesday.' I don't know what I would have done if he'd caught me!" One fretted. Sighing, he continued. "... I wish he wouldn't come here so we could at least eat lunch in peace."

Yuu listened, lips pressed together into a line when she heard this. "Just... how bad is this situation?" She asked, concern on her face.

"Riddle managed to secure the housewarden title before the end of his very first week at school." Trey said. "I know he can come off a bit harsh, but he's not a bad guy. Everything he does, he does because he thinks it'll improve the dorm." The boy pushed his glasses up, instinctively trying to shield Riddle.

"Would a good guy go around putting collars on strangers' necks?" Grim deadpanned, looking at Trey and Cater, both of which gave an awkward laugh.

"That was your own fault for causing trouble, Grim." Yuu said, trying to focus on her no-longer appetizing food.

"But that collar really hurt, and it shut off all my magic! That's just rude!" Growled the cat monster, reaching for Yuu's food again. This time, Yuu did not bother to swat his paw away.

"So what's this 'signature spell' he mentioned?" Yuu asked, leaning forward while Grim celebrated his stolen prize.

Cater put his phone down, looking at her. "You're curious about Riddle's signature spell?"

"That means, like... It's a spell that only he can cast, right?" Deuce asked, tentatively.

Trey chuckled. "I doubt he's the only person in the whole world... But yes, a signature spell is a magical ability that is, generally speaking, unique to its user. You'll learn about them in class soon enough."

"Riddle's signature spell allows him to temporarily seal away the magic of another. The spell is named..."

In the distance, Yuu could make out the very loud outburst of the Red-haired boy. "Off With Your Head!" Yuu winced as she heard the snap of a collar closing around someone's neck. She rubbed at her throat sympathetically.

"Ouch." She muttered, eyes wide in the direction of the noise.

"Even the name is completely psycho!" Grim cried fearfully.

"To a mage, losing the ability to use magic is about as painful as losing your head completely. Which is why all of us at Heartslabyul House try hard not to violate Riddle's rules." Cater stated, eyeing Ace.

"And as long as you are following the rules, Riddle isn't so scary." Trey tried for a smile from the group.

"Speaking of which - are you still not gonna let me into the dorm until I buy a tart, Cater?" Ace asked, sighing.

Cater shook his head. "Don't @ me, but... yeah. That's rule 53, so my hands are tied." He sighed, rubbing the back of his head before adding, "Also, Riddle always looks forward to having the first slice of a tart. So if you want him to forgive you, you had better bring a whole tart!"

"What happened to 'We're all from the same dorm, let's try to get along?' Throw me a bone here!" Ace asked incredulously, pleading with the older ginger.

"That's one thing. This is another." The older said, shrugging. Ace groaned loudly, his face colliding dramatically with the table top.

"A whole tart has gotta be pretty expensive." Deuce pointed out unhelpfully.

"Seriously?!" Ace turned to look at the upperclassmen. "I don't have that much money!"

"Then why not make one yourself? Trey made those three tarts by hand, after all." Cater suggested. Ace shot up, intrigued.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Yuu smiled at Trey politely. "I tried making one for my little sister's birthday. I got the filling right, but the crust was rock hard." She said, smiling at the memory of her sister attempting to bite into the strawberry tart. "Heh. Classic."

Trey looked interested, suddenly. "You bake?"

She gave a nod. "Every once in a while. Nothing too difficult." She said dismissively before Ace cut her off.

"You made those tarts, Trey? That's incredible! That was like something you'd find at a bakery!"

" I appreciate that. We do have most of the stuff you'd need, but... I'm afraid I'll need something from you in return." Trey teased, a smirk on his face.

Ace's face dropped. "You're gonna charge me to make it?! What kinda racket...?!"

"Nah, I wouldn't take money from a freshman!" Trey smiled. "But Riddle wants a chestnut tart next, so I'm gonna need you to gather a ton of chestnuts."

Ace, lazy but desperate as he was, sighed before agreeing. "Like that's any less of a hassle. But... fine. How many do you need?"

"Well, it's for the unbirthday party, so... Probably two or three hundred?" Trey shrugged as the boys seemed surprised at the quantity.

"Did you say HUNDRED?!" They exclaimed, making Yuu chuckle.

"Honestly, it's fair enough considering this is gonna be for a tart. I'd be surprised if he'd asked for less than that." She remarked.

Trey gave her a nod before he added, "And they're all gonna need to be boiled, shelled, and pureed."

Yuu watched as Deuce and Grim stood.

"Alright, I'm gonna head out." Grim hopped out of Yuu's arms, landing perfectly on the floor.

"I'm leaving too."

Ace shot the two a look of betrayal. "You heartless cowards!" He cried, suddenly grabbing onto Yuu's arms.

"At least I've got Yuu. He won't leave me, right?"

Yuu, instead, shot the ginger with a genuine look of disgust, which led to him letting go with a pout. As much as I'd like to tell you off, I can't let it slip that I'm a girl. She thought.

Ace sighed before drooping his head. "Fine... I guess I'll just have to do it on my own..." He sighed, hoping for some sort of pity.

Yuu let out a sigh of her own. "I never said I wouldn't help you." She watched Ace perk up slightly.

"Hold up! Haven't you ever heard that food tastes better if you make it with your friends? This'll be a memory to treasure! It could even be your chance to make a splash as a cooking blogger!" Cater calls after Deuce and Grim , who continue to walk away.

It's only when Trey steps in that the two finally stop. "Don't tell Riddle, but chestnut tarts are at their tastiest when eaten right out of the oven. And the only people who get to experience that culinary privilege are the ones who make it."

Grim froze for a moment before turning and running over to Trey, suddenly excited.

"Well, when you put it that way... Come on, humans, let's do this!" Grim smiled excitedly.

Yuu rolled her eyes. "Well... you certainly changed your tune rather quickly."

"You know..." Trey said, picking up his lunch tray, "I heard there's a whole bunch of chestnut trees in the woods behind the campus's botanical garden."

Yuu gave a nod of thanks to the green haired boy.

"Cool. Plan made. Let's meet at the botanical garden after last period." Ace stated before Grim cut in excitedly.

"Yeah!" The little monster cheered, "We're gonna be up to our ears in chestnuts!" Yuu forced herself not to roll her eyes again.

"Fine. But I have to meet with the headmage after the last period, so I'll meet you boys there." She mentioned.